Criminal defense attorneys around the state of North Carolina are breathing a little easier after the SBI crime lab named a new director.
The new man in charge is former Greensboro judge Joe Johns. He has no science background, but has drawn high praise for his management skills over the last year as interim director. He was appointed by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper and SBI director Greg McLeod.

The News and Observer reported that the previous director, Jerry Richardson, was removed from the position last year after a range of questions about the lab’s work in criminal cases. Richardson did not have a science background and had struggled to explain lab policies during the scrutiny last year.

The SBI Crime Lab came under fire when two former FBI officials wrote an audit that flagged more than 200 cases in which the lab’s reporting of tests was in question.

As a Criminal defense attorney in Raleigh, NC, I cannot state how glad I am to see the SBI Crime Lab take such a positive turn. It seemed to
be a real blow to the State of North Carolina and the judicial system when all these initial concerns about integrity of the lab were brought up.